Adults with food insecurity have reduced lung function, elevated COPD symptom burden

Key takeaways:

• Food insecure adults had worse measures of FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC.
• Food insecurity was experienced by nearly 15% of those with COPD.

SAN DIEGO — Lung function decreased and COPD symptom burden increased among adults with vs. without food insecurity, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.

“Food insecurity is more prevalent in our population than both the North Carolina and U.S. average and was highly prevalent in COPD patients (14.4%),” Sarah E. Maus, MD, post-graduate year 5 at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote.

Using a validated screening tool for food insecurity, Maus and colleagues assessed 11,373 adults who underwent pulmonary function testing at Wake Forest Baptist Health from March 2018 to February 2023, to find out the link between food insecurity and lung function, as well as between food insecurity and COPD symptom burden.

Researchers got a sense of food insecurity by asking participants how frequently they related to two statements: “Within the past 12 months, the food we bought just didn’t last and we didn’t have the money to get more,” and “Within the past 12 months, we worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more.”

Answering with “sometimes” or “often” to one of the questions signaled food insecurity, according to researchers.

Food insecurity was identified in 1,925 of 11,373 adults (16.9%), and this group consisted of more women, younger individuals and Black individuals compared with the group without food insecurity.

Using multivariable generalized linear models, researchers found reduced measures of lung function among those with vs. without food insecurity (FEV₁, mean difference, –40 mL; P = .03; FEV₁/FVC actual percentage, –1.03%; P = .01).

Within the total cohort, 7,558 (66%) adults had a COPD diagnosis, including 1,090 (14.4%) with food insecurity.

Among those with vs. without food insecurity in this subcohort, researchers observed significantly heightened symptom burden on the Modified Medical Research Council scale (score difference, +5) and the COPD Assessment Test (score difference, +0.5).

“Future studies are needed to determine if improving food security can impact pulmonary function and symptom burden,” Maus and colleagues wrote.

Reference:

• Maus S, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024;doi:10.1154/ajrccm-conference.2024.209.1_MeetingAbstracts.A4761.